Highwood prepares for Guinness world record

By: Blair Chavis/Triblocal.com staff reporter
10/12/09 02:46 PM 316 hits

Highwood purchased 1,000 pumpkins that are being stored in a warehouse in preparation for the "Great Wall of Pumpkins."

One thousand pairs of eyes will be lit up in Highwood this October when the city holds it first ever pumpkin festival.

Prelude to the Great Pumpkin Festival of 2010 is a run-through for when Highwood tries to break the Guinness Book of World Records’ number for most lit jack-o’-lanterns on display.

In 2010, the city is looking to have 32,000 jack-o’-lanterns aglow.

As of now, Boston’s Life is Good Pumpkin Festival still holds the title from 2006, with 30,128 jack-o’-lanterns lit, according to the Guinness Web site. Before Boston, The Keene Pumpkin Festival in Keene, N.H. held the title.

Highwood’s 4th Ward Alderman Eric Falberg said he got the idea to start a similar event after living in Vermont and visiting the Keene festival.

“It was just a spectacular site,” Falberg said. “There’s nothing like it. It’s just awe-inspiring.”

Falberg said he hopes this event eventually draws people from throughout the Midwest. This year, however, Highwood is starting small with 1,000 pumpkins. They will be propped on an approximated 32-foot-high by 90-foot-wide wall of scaffolding, or “Great Wall of Pumpkins,” in front of city hall, as similarly seen at Keene’s festival. In addition, jack-o’-lanterns will line the streets alongside the local businesses.

“It takes a lot of logistics to break a world record,” Falberg said. “If we could really do this and do it right…we could knock the socks off of everybody.”

Falberg said next year he plans to invite the Guinness Book of World Records to the event to count the pumpkins.

“We’re going for two records next year,” Falberg said. “[The second] will be for the world’s tallest tower of jack-o’-lanterns—we plan on scaffolding up the entire water tower and having jack-o’-lanterns lit all the way up. It would be quite a sight.”

Next year, Falberg said he envisions that the entire city will be enveloped. The water tower will be lit, storefronts will feature pumpkins, the streets will be lined with jack-o’-lanterns propped on multi-tier milk crates and throughout the parks and residential streets, he added.

Falberg is also in discussion with the city regarding turning the festival into a country pumpkin music festival—a play on the phrase “country bumpkins,” he said.

“That’s why this is so important, the success of this particular prelude,” Falberg said. “Because it really will help us lead off to [next year].”

This year’s festival will take place from 3 to 8 p.m. Oct. 21 in conjunction with the city’s last farmers’ market of the season.

Pumpkins will be on sale for $5 each, and can be carved in a tent from 3 to 6:30 p.m.

Falberg said Highwood Mayor Charlie Pecaro, who is expected to be dressed as the Headless Horseman, will kick off the pumpkin lighting at approximately 6:30 p.m. once the pumpkins are brought to the great wall. About 36 volunteers will also help in lighting.

The festival will include live music, hot cider and coca and $1 hayrides from 3 to 8 p.m. Residents can trick or treat at Highwood’s local businesses from 3 to 6 p.m., and the businesses will be offering discounts to families with at least one member in costume.

“We’re going to have our specials, not only at the shop that day, but we will offer [them] and free sampling at our booth[s] that night,” said Pastificio! owner Patricia Galli, who is on the city’s special events and public outreach committee with Falberg.

For those who want a head start on carving, a 30-foot long booth will be set up at Highwood’s Last Call Art Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 17 and Oct. 18.

Additionally, pumpkins can also be carved at a fun fair from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 18, at Oak Terrace School, 240 Prairie Ave.

Families can pick up their carved pumpkins from Oct. 22-24. Remaining pumpkins will either be donated to local families or composted at The Resource Center of Chicago.

—By Blair Chavis|Triblocal.com reporter
Triblocal.com photo by Blair Chavis

 

Highwood holds it's first Pumpkin Festival on Wednesday, October 21 from 3-8pm. Gearing up for a Guinness world record in 2010! Should be quite a site both this year and next!